Childcare Bubble

[CM2021]

Hi, can I form a childcare bubble with my in-laws if my daughter goes to nursery? She goes four times a week and they look after her one day a week. They also live 65 miles away and live with a shielding person. There is nothing I can find online at the government site about it.

Yes, you can. It has been confirmed in the govt. guidance.

@Christmasnamechange1234

Yes, you can. It has been confirmed in the govt. guidance.

Where did you see this Christmasnamechange1234 please? I am concerned that sending her to nursery is putting her at risk of passing the virus on from workers, other children or parents.

Have they already been providing childcare? I would say nurseries are safer now than they were last week or last month as now places are locked down so less transmission.

Sky news FAQs

Yeah you can, but would you want to put the shielding person at risk like that?

@Hapixmas

Have they already been providing childcare? I would say nurseries are safer now than they were last week or last month as now places are locked down so less transmission.

Yes in October. Just worried about them getting the virus especially this new strain as my husbands grandfather is his 90's and clinically vulnerable.

@Christmasnamechange1234

Sky news FAQs

I saw this on the gov site but it does not say it is ok for another household to look after a child if it goes outside the bubble to a nursery. Concerned for husband's grandfather who is clinically vulnerable especially this new strain.

You can, yes.

But, whether its a great idea here is something you'll need to weigh up. The shielding person would then not be 'shielded' entirely if they have contact with your DC who in turn has had contact with numerous kids/households through nursery.

Also, I think the bubble rules apply regardless, but you mentioned they live 65miles away so might need to check its still okay as I know the latest guidance is to stay local. Logistically, its quite a roundtrip for one day of childcare!

I would avoid using them due to DH’s grandfather. You can have them as an additional bubble under childcare, but whether you should is another matter

Concerned for husband's grandfather who is clinically vulnerable especially this new strain.

I think it’s pretty clear this is possible but not sensible - you can’t expose a vulnerable 90 year old to a toddler who has been in nursery

You CAN, but whether you should/ whether it’s safe is an entirely different matter. That’s up for you to decide- I wouldn’t personally.

Would nursery have the space to take her for the additional day? That's a lot to put on an older couple quite far away during a pandemic.

It might be legal but it's a terrible idea. You'd be putting your in laws (who don't sound particularly young themselves) and grandfather at huge risk. We also rely on a mixture of formal and family childcare, and have decided that morally we can't do both, even though it makes our lives difficult for work.

I think ethically speaking, you need to find an alternative.

You can, but in this situation I wouldn’t. It’s not really fair on the shielder to put that much extra risk on the household. Your child will be at much higher risk of catching the virus at nursery.

I wouldn't take the risk. It's also a huge trip for a few hours of childcare from them.

Thank you all for your comments. I agree the risk is too high and we would be mortified if any of them caught it. It is just the one day and although difficult with a toddler, we can manage between us to work from home.

Yes, DD is in nursery two days a week and DMIL comes one day a week to look after DD. However, none of us are shielding/vulnerable